Paradoxical hippocampus perfusion in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the changes in hippocampal perfusion in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease using PET and (15)O-labeled water.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with probable mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (age: 68.1+/-11.3 yr; MMSE: 21.1+/-4.5) and 10 normal volunteers (age: 65.1+/-8.2 yr) were studied. Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were measured using (15)O-labeled water autoradiographic method, C(15)O-gas inhalation technique and PET.


RESULTS
Although the mean CBF in the parietotemporal region was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group, the mean CBF in the hippocampus did not show significant reduction between the two groups, both in absolute and relative values. There was no significant regional CBV difference between the two groups. Parietotemporal perfusion correlated well with cognitive scores, both in absolute and relative values, in Alzheimer's disease, but hippocampal perfusion did not correlate well.


CONCLUSIONS
Hippocampal perfusion was preserved in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.
Ishii
K
K
Division of Neuroimaging Research, Hyogo Institute for Aging Brain and Cognitive Disorders, Himeji, Japan.
Sasaki
M
M
Yamaji
S
S
Sakamoto
S
S
Kitagaki
H
H
Mori
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010104:Oxygen Radioisotopes; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014867:Water
D010104:Oxygen Radioisotopes; D014867:Water